For many, ready access to communication systems to permit communication therethrough is a necessity of everyday life. Advancements in communication technologies have permitted the development and deployment of a variety of communication systems that provide for the performance of various communication services. With increased capabilities of digital, and other, technologies, communication services that can be carried out include communication services that are increasingly data-intensive. Multimedia communication services, for instance, communication services that are formed of multiple media types, e.g., audio, text, and video, are amongst the communication services that have been developed and deployed as a result of advancements in digital communication technologies.
Multimedia communication services are, for instance, implementable by way of radio communication networks in which communication stations, i.e., devices, are capable of participating in a multimedia communication service. A cellular communication system is an exemplary type of radio communication system whose infrastructures have been widely deployed and whose services are widely utilized in many parts of the world. The multi-media capabilities are generally available only in new-generation devices. That is to say, older-generation, cellular communication stations generally are not multi-media capable. When a multi-media communication service is to be performed, the communication station that is to be a party to the communication service must be capable of participating pursuant to sending and receiving of the multi-media data of the communication service.
Conventionally, communication stations are provided with a single identity. Analogous to a conventional, telephonic system, communication stations are conventionally identified by a single identity, such as a telephone number that identifies a single telephone or cellular communication station. Technological advancements, however, permit concepts other than a single-mapping concept in which a single identity, e.g., a telephone number, maps uniquely only to a single line or device. For instance, the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)-based signaling, as well as other Internet-based communication technology signaling, supports the concept of multiple devices that are registered with the same identity, such as a user identity, or URI. The SIP also supports the capability of multi-media communications including text, other types of messaging, along with audio and video within a single communication session or single Communication Message. A communication session is an association established between two or more devices or users for the purposes of communication (including real time and non real time) using any media type (including audio, video, text, data) or combinations of media types. A Communication Message is an atomic communication exchange between two or more devices or users that contains one or more media types (including audio, video, text, data).
With SIP, as well as the other Internet-based technologies, a user is able to have different identities. For instance, different identities are given to family, friends, co-workers, etc. And, communication filtering and diverting services are provided, based upon which identity to which a particular communication is addressed. A user, e.g., configures a call forwarding service to permit an address provided to family members to reach the user directly, while other communications are handled in other manners. For instance, communications from friends are forwarded to the user's personal voicemail while, e.g., communications of co-workers are forwarded to the office phone of the user and the user's office voicemail.
Additionally, the user is not required to have different identities for the user's home phone, personal mobile phone, work phone, corporate mobile phone, vacation home phone, laptop computer, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) client, fax machine, etc. Instead, a user is, if desired, reachable by way of a call placed to a single identity through routing of the call to the user's desired device such as the user's home phone, personal mobile phone, work phone, laptop computer, VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) client, fax machine, etc. By providing the capability of using a single identity to identify multiple devices, multiple calling numbers, or other addressing indicia, need not be known by a calling party. Business cards with multiple calling numbers and address books with multiple numbers associated with a single person need not be used or maintained.
An additional advantage of the use of a single identity to identify multiple devices is that a user is able to direct communication sessions or Communication Messages in which different types of media are communicated to different devices, depending, e.g., upon which device is able to make use of the communicated media. For instance, a user is able to elect to accept a video call on a laptop computer rather than on a mobile phone.
Various issues and challenges, however, remain with respect to communications with devices that are registered with a common identity. Procedures relating to the direction of an SIP invitation, or analogous session initiation, remain to be resolved or improved. And, e.g., procedures in operation relating to modification of an ongoing communication session also remain to be resolved or improved.
It is in light of this background information relating to communications in a communication system that the significant improvements of the present disclosure have evolved.